Engineering topics

Uchida, Yutaka

Publications and source records attributed to Uchida, Yutaka.

6 records

NASA NTRS1995

Interplanetary planar magnetic structures associated with expanding active regions

Planar magnetic structures are interplanetary objects whose magnetic field cannot be explained by Parker's solar wind model. They are characterized by two-dimensional structure of magnetic field that are highly variable and parallel to a plane which is inclined to the ecliptic plane. They appeared independently of interplanetary compression, solar flares, active prominences nor filament disappearances, but the sources often coincided with active regions. On the other hand, it has been discovered by the Yohkoh Soft X-ray telescope that active-region corona expand outwards at speeds of a few to a few tens of km/s near the Sun. The expansions occurred repeatedly, almost continually, even in the absence of any sizable flares. In the Yohkoh Soft X-ray images, the active-region corona seems to expand out into interplanetary space. Solar sources of interplanetary planar magnetic structures observed by Sakigake were examined by Yohkoh soft X-ray telescope. During a quiet period of the Sun from January 6 to November 11, 1993, there found 5 planar magnetic structures according to the criteria (absolute value of Bn)/(absolute value of B) less than 0.1 for planarity and (dB)/(absolute value of B) greater than 0.7 for variability of magnetic field, where Bn, dB, and the absolute value of B are field component normal to a plane, standard deviation, and average of the magnitude of the magnetic field, respectively. Sources of 4 events were on low-latitude (less than 5 degrees) active regions from which loop-like structures were expanding. The coincidence, 80%, is extremely high with respect to accidental coincidence, 7%, of Sakigake windows of solar wind observation with active regions. The last source was on loop-like features which seemed to be related with a mid-latitude (20 degrees) active region.

Nakagawa, Tomoko↗

NASA NTRS1992

White-light flares observed by Yohkoh

The Yohkoh observatory is producing a first sample of white-light flares observed from space. We present observations of four of them, all X-class events. The Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope white-light data typically have a 12-s cadence for images with 2.46 arcsec pixels over a field of view of 2.62 arcmin in one of two broad-band optical filters, and the November 15, 1991 flare produced a brightness increase of about 38 percent over the photospheric brightness in the 30 A passband filter centered at 4308 A. The white-light flare morphology in the best-observed flares displays a double 'footpoint' character, establishing a close relationship with the compact magnetic flux tubes involved with both hard and soft X-ray emissions. We describe the data in the context of the soft and hard X-ray observations simultaneously carried out on board the Yohkoh satellite, emphasizing energetics and timing.

Hudson, Hugh S.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Continual expansion of the active-region corona observed by the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope

We have found from the observations of the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) that the corona above active regions expands occasionally, and almost continually in the cases of 'active' active regions. The key to this discovery has been a movie representation of the Yohkoh SXT data, which, for the first time, provides adequate sampling and continuity for this purpose. The movies show ubiquitous expansions above the active regions, with velocities in the range of a few to a few tens km/s. The expansion appears to preserve the overall structure of the active-region corona. This finding of almost continual expansion of the active-region corona may affect some of the basic ideas concerning active regions, as well as those of the mass-loss from the Sun and Sunlike stars.

Uchida, Yutaka↗

NASA NTRS1992

Observations of X-ray jets with the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope

The features of the multiple X-ray jets in the solar corona, revealed by the time series of the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope images are described. The typical size of a jet was from 5 x 10 exp 3 to 4 x 10 exp 5 km, the translational velocity was 30-300 km/s, and the corresponding kinetic energy was estimated to be from 10 exp 25 to 10 exp 28 erg. Many of the jets were found to be associated with flares in X-ray bright points, emerging flux regions, or active regions, and they sometimes occurred several times from the same X-ray feature. One of the jets associated with a flaring bright point was identified as being an H-alpha surge.

Shibata, Kazunari↗

NASA NTRS1992

Thickness variations along coronal loops observed by the Soft X-ray Telescope on Yohkoh

The paper presents preliminary results of an investigation of thickness variations along coronal loops observed with the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT), using observations from ten loops selected from the SXT data. The quantitative results indicate that coronal X-ray loops do not expand. This contradicts the expectation that, if plasma loops coincide with magnetic loops, many loops must be significantly broader at their tops than at their foot points. Possible interpretations of the obtained results are proposed.

Klimchuk, James A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The structure of the coronal soft X-ray source associated with the dark filament disappearance of 1991 September 28 using the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope

The structure of the coronal soft X-ray source associated with the dark filament disappearance on September 28, 1991, observed with the Soft X-ray Telescope, is examined as a possible example of the 'eruption-reconnection' model of filament disappearance. The results suggest, however, that this model may not fit. There is a strong possibility that much of the dark filament mass remains in the heated unwinding axial field.

Mcallister, Alan↗